media-releases

LEOPOLD COMMUNITY AND LEARNING CENTRE RECEIVES NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE FUNDING.

October 8, 2018

Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville today announced that the Leopold Community and Learning Centre had received State Government funding to provide up to 25 hours paid coordination per week as a newly funded Neighbourhood House.

Ms Neville said this was a significant announcement for the Leopold Community and Learning Centre as it will ensure the centre will be able to provide even more services and support within the Leopold community as a funded Neighbourhood House

The funding will ensure locals are given more opportunities to participate in their local neighbourhood house and in doing so learn new skills, boost their health and wellbeing and importantly make new social connections, Ms Neville added.

The Leopold Community and Learning Centre is a great organisation, well managed by co coordinator Kerrie Tomkins and her team, Ms Neville added.

I congratulate Kerrie and the Leopold Community and Learning Centre for the work they have do and being chosen to receive more funding and support as a Neighbourhood House, Ms Neville said.

The funding announcement was part of the Andrews Labor Government’s record boost for Victoria’s neighbourhood houses which gives even more opportunities for locals to foster connections in Leopold, learn new skills and boost their health and wellbeing.

27 additional neighbourhood houses will be funded through the Neighbourhood Houses Coordination Program, including Leopold Community and Learning Centre.

In total, the new funding will support 16 brand new houses and 11 houses that will receive Neighbourhood House Coordination Program funding for the first time, meaning they will be able to provide even more services and support to the local community.

Each of these neighbourhood houses will receive funding for up to 25 coordination hours per week, which is estimated to deliver up to 50 hours of activities and programs per week for their local community.

Neighbourhood houses provide their communities with a place to come together and access vital employment, training and volunteering opportunities.

This includes things like language classes, computer tutoring, health and wellbeing activities, life skills lessons, self-help groups and occasional childcare.

The Labor Government announced a record $21.8 million over four years to boost its Neighbourhood House Coordination Program in the Victorian Budget 2018/19, which has led to an increase in coordination hours for 162 houses – the biggest ever boost of its kind.